Twitter/Getty Chrissie Bixler and Danny Masterson
Chrissie Bixler is one of four women who say actor Danny Masterson raped them. Her story is being broadcast as part of the docuseries, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath.
No charges were filed against Masterson. Masterson, a star of That ’70s Show and Netflix series The Ranch, was ousted from his Netflix acting job after the rape allegations came to light. The Los Angeles District Attorney determined there was not enough evidence to pursue a case, but a lawsuit filed against Masterson and The Church of Scientology calls the stalled case the perpetuation of a church cover-up.
Chrissie Bixler, formerly Chrissie Carnell, was an actress and model. She has twin boys, Ulysses and Xanthus, who were born in 2013. Bixler is married to Cedric Bixler-Zavala, former frontman of The Mars Volta. They live in Los Angeles.
When Bixler went public with her story, other women came forward and also said Masterson raped them. Bixler, like another one of the accusers, was in a relationship with Masterson. They said Masterson assaulted them when they were unconscious. Bixler was a member of the Church of Scientology, as were the other women who say Masterson raped them.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Bixler is One of 4 Women Who Say Masterson Raped Them
The women repeatedly found strangers around their homes, sometimes peering inside with flashlights at night. Their email accounts were hacked and credit cards stolen. One woman’s dog mysteriously died and the autopsy showed trauma to its trachea.
Three women, including Bixler, told the Los Angeles Police Department Danny Masterson sexually assaulted, according to an article by Tony Ortega. Four women subsequently filed a lawsuit against Masterson and the Church of Scientology, saying the church intervened in the case by submitting 50 affidavits from Scientologists who denied the claims.
Masterson called the lawsuit “beyond ridiculous,” through his lawyer, according to USA Today.
“I’m not going to fight my ex-girlfriend in the media like she’s been baiting me to do for more than two years. I will beat her in court—and look forward to it because the public will finally be able learn the truth and see how I’ve been railroaded by this woman. And once her lawsuit is thrown out, I intend to sue her and the others who jumped on the bandwagon for the damage they caused me and my family,” the statement said.
2. Bixler is The Only Person Whose Rape Accusation Went Public
The women claim the Church of Scientology pressured them to keep quiet, telling them not to file reports with police.
Bixler did not keep quiet. Her refusal to be silent spurred three other women to come forward, who also say Masterson raped them.
“I’m going to be an amazing woman who will NOT shut my mouth when I find out my rapist raped countless other women,” she said, according to Newsweek.
In the bio section of her Twitter page, she wrote, “Freedom of Speech as long as you have nothing to say.”
She announced August 22 she was taking a hiatus from Twitter.
“Signing off for a while as I just need family,” she wrote. “I wanted to say thank you to all who’s written me. You’ve touched my heart & broken my heart w/your stories. Thank you for allowing me to be a safe person for you. I hope somehow I’ve helped you because you have definitely helped me!”
3. Bixler Says Masterson Is ‘Baiting’ Her to Make a Statement
Bixler responded to Masterson’s statement, saying he was “baiting” her to make a statement. Masterson issued a statement through his attorney calling the lawsuit “beyond ridiculous” and said Bixler was “baiting” him.
“I’m not going to fight my ex-girlfriend in the media like she’s been baiting me to do for more than two years. I will beat her in court—and look forward to it because the public will finally be able learn the truth and see how I’ve been railroaded by this woman. And once her lawsuit is thrown out, I intend to sue her and the others who jumped on the bandwagon for the damage they caused me and my family,” Masterson’s statement said.
Bixler responded to the statement on Twitter.
“I’m not going to respond to the statement made by my rapist like he’s been baiting me to do since he outed me to the press 2yrs ago. Nor will I tell you how terrifying it is that he only singles me out w/that obsessive rage I know so well. Instead I’ll post this from LA Times,” she wrote.
4. Chrissie Bixler Was Known As Chrissie Carnell, An Actress & Model
Chrissie Bixler was previously known as Chrissie Carnell, an actress and model. She worked on the movie Jack-O, a slasher horror film released in 1995.
Carnell also modeled for publications including Elle, Glamour and Seventeen.
She is married to Cedric Bixler-Zavala, former frontman of The Mars Volta. They have twin boys, Ulysses and Xanthus, who were born in 2013. The family lives in Los Angeles.
5. Chrissie Bixler is One of Danny Masterson’s Ex-Girlfriends
Tonight, Leah Remini ends ‘Scientology and the Aftermath’ with a hard look at Danny Masterson t.co/6b2a3JTjV9 #Scientology #ScientologyTheAftermath
Bixler was previously in a relationship with Masterson for six years.
Masterson’s publicist, Jenni Weinman, claimed her client couldn’t have raped Bixler because they were in a relationship. Bixler has said Masterson assaulted her at least twice when she was unconscious.
“Well, Chrissie was Danny’s girlfriend at the time, so there’s really nothing, there’s no story there,” Weinman told one of Masterson’s other accusers, according to Newsweek.
She was not the only woman to accuse Masterson of rape who was in a relationship with him. Another women, who was part of the initial LAPD investigation, said Masterson forced a painful sex act on her in 2001 while she was unconscious. The alleged rape injured her, she said. The woman said the Church of Scientology, of which she was also a member, pressured her not to go to police.